


weaving time in a tapestry

by Nucci



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Angst, Drug Use, Gen, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Post-Canon, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-02
Updated: 2019-03-23
Packaged: 2019-11-08 05:39:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,668
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17975477
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nucci/pseuds/Nucci
Summary: Klaus groaned, touching the ground. His head felt like it was full of cotton, his body itched all over.Waking up confused was not a new thing. Waking up with the mother of all hangovers, also not new. Feeling like his body wasn’t his own… that one was new.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first time I'm posting a fanfiction in years, years! This tv show made me feel so much. In particular, I loved Klaus and was so interested in exploring his character more. 
> 
> Tons of spoilers in this, so please be sure to have watched the first season before starting. The idea is that this starts just after the end of the last episode.

Chapter 1:

Klaus groaned, touching the ground. His head felt like it was full of cotton, his body itched all over. It felt like he was run over by a truck. With his eyes still closed and groaning from the pain, Klaus tried to get his bearings. 

Waking up confused was not a new thing. Waking up with the mother of all hangovers, also not new. Feeling like his body wasn’t his own… that one was new. 

All of sudden his memories came crashing back to him. Vanya. Ben. The Moon. Oh, god the apocalypse. 

Klaus jolted up, eyes crazed as he looked around. Sitting up, he pulled his knees up to his chest and hugged them, rocking back and forth a bit as he grabbed his head. He moved too quickly, everything was spinning. 

Flashes of sound and light hit him as he remembered their final moments in the apocalypse. Were they dead? Had Five’s plan worked. 

Groaning, he lifted his head up from his knees and squinted, looking around. He was outside, it was cool but felt warmer than March. There was a group of people around him, but he didn’t recognize them. They all looked so young. 

He was with his sibling before, so where w… 

Apprehension bubbled inside him and he felt a prickling at the back of his neck. He could feel goosebumps tingling across his skin. He looked back at the kids strewn around him.

He knew these faces, these bodies. But it wasn’t right, nothing was right. He pulled at his hair in confusion and froze. His hair was shorter, softer, curlier, not as greasy. This wasn’t right. 

He brought his arms down in front of his face and studied the back of his hands. They were so much smaller, his skin, for the most part so much smoother. He turned them over and studied his palms. Continued down and saw the angry red marks littered across his wrists and forearms. 

He moaned, shaking his head muttering “No, no, no, no” as he stared at his arms in shock physically pulling away from them. 

His eyes were wide and panicked as he looked around at the kids, no his siblings, again, breath coming out faster in shock. 

Too many questions, his head was pounding. He could feel the start of a panic attack. He flopped back down to the ground with a loud grunt as he tried to control his breathing and center himself. 

“Ugh, w- w- wh- what happened? Are we dead?” Klaus heard the voice of someone who only could be Diego, with that stutter, groan near him. His voice was so so young. From the ground, not moving his head, Klaus looked over at him. 

“Not lucky enough for that” Klaus groaned, still trying to get his breathing under control, surprised at the high pitch of his voice. He did not like that. Puberty had been a bitch and he was NOT looking forward to it again. He rolled over into the fetal position as he tried to calm himself down more. 

“Time travel. It’s a bitch” Five grunted. Klaus didn’t realize he was awake. 

“What?!” Diego yelped (no too loud, Klaus thought groaning) quickly sitting up and looking between Five and Klaus. His eyes bugged out of his head when he saw Klaus, Diego sputtered “Y-y-y-your… what happened? Why? Klaus, why? Five, what happened? Klaus, are we dead? Oh god, we’re dead aren’t we?” Diego was spiraling and pacing. It wasn’t helping Klaus’ current predicament, but he had finally gotten control of his breathing. 

“Why don’t you ask our dear old brother. Lay it on us, old man. Where are we? Or more apropos when are we?” Klaus, finally having calmed down, had turned over and was laying flat on the ground.

“Calm down, we’re not dead. I told you it didn’t have to be the end. I may have miscalculated some numbers, but we didn’t have any time,” Five explained, clambering to his feet and dusting off his uniform, he looked up to the sky squinting, “There never was enough time,” he sighed, shaking his head. 

“I was trying to buy us some time. I just bought us too much time” he looked over at Diego and smirked. “Delores was always right, my math is always worse under pressure.” He gazed wistfully away, a haunted look in his eyes. 

“Aw good ol’ Delores. Such a babe. Such a genius,” Klaus quipped from the ground.

“God, can you stop talking in riddles for like five minutes,” Diego snapped, looking between Klaus and Five exasperated, “What. The. Hell. Happened?” He growled out. Only it didn’t really come out as a growl. Sounded more like a whiny, petulant child. Klaus snorted, covering his eyes with his arm to block out the sun and the sound. His head still felt like cotton. 

“The apocalypse,” Five said glancing at Diego, “or don’t you remember the Moon exploding?” 

Klaus remembered it, he thought, drowning out the bickering voices of his siblings in present-day. He remembers standing around in formation with his siblings, even after all those years training still kicked in. He remembers grasping Dave’s dog tags, wanting to hold on to what he loved before he died. 

But, he also remembers Five’s crazed look as he explained that it didn’t have to be the end. Klaus wonders if it would have been better if they had died. Maybe he’d be with Dave again? Or maybe God would continue to play a fast one on him and stick him with Dad until the end of time. Klaus shivered at the thought. He laid his arm back down, opened his eyes and glanced up at the sky as the sounds of his sibling’s voices started to drift back to him.

“- well, trying to time travel is tricky business alone. But, with five -”

“Six” Ben’s voice corrected him. 

“Ah, Benny you followed,” Klaus glanced over to him and sending him a warm, languid smile. 

“B-b-b-ben?” Diego questioned looking around, his eyes landing on Ben. He clambered up to his hands and knees and wobbled over to Ben, pulling him into a hug. Ben melted into it; how long had it been since he felt another person’s touch? He didn’t realize how much he was craving it. 

Klaus’ brain stopped working as he watched Diego look straight at Ben too. Ben was really here? He watched in disbelief as Diego pulled his brother into a hug. He heard Five mumbling to himself, “Six, really? Extraordinary.”

Klaus breathed in shakily, standing up, his eyes never leaving Ben and Diego’s embrace. “Ben” he questioned as he stood all the way up, hands reaching out toward the two. He took a step forward as the world pitched to the side. He crumpled to the ground on his hands and knees laughing deliriously. Ben glanced at him over Diego’s shoulder in worry. 

“I just, I just assumed you were still a ghost” Klaus’ voice shook, the emotion overwhelming him as his whole body began to shake. 

“Yea man, I’m here. In the flesh” Ben laughed shakily as he and Diego split apart, Diego patting him on the shoulders and back, not wanting to fully let go. 

Klaus snorted, “Nice one” his voice sounded wet as he sniffed, sitting on his knees with his legs underneath him. Ben grinned at him and winked. Klaus grinned back in awe, his eyes gleaming with unshed tears as he laughed.

“Hmm” Five mused, interrupting the touching moment -- Rude, Klaus thought. “Somehow we brought your consciousness back to your current present day body” 

“Well, when I saw everyone holding on, I just… I just realized I had to join. I mean, usually, I can’t actually hold on to anything, ghost you know,” Ben explained, joking as he looked between his siblings, “But, this time I realized I could. I don’t know if it was just leftover from Klaus’ power or what. But, I found I could hold onto Klaus instead of just phasing straight through him.”

“I never thought I’d see you again,” Diego said, still grasping Ben’s shoulder “Man is it good to see you again”

“Heh, well can’t say the same to you” Ben joked. Diego sputtered, “What?” confusion coloring his face. Ben looked over at Klaus, mirth in his eyes as they looked at each other and laughed like there was some universal inside joke he wasn’t apart of. 

“No, no, man I’m so glad to see you and be alive. I just… man, I’ve been around the whole time.” Ben explained smiling wistfully. 

Diego looked between Ben and Klaus. Understanding beginning to dawn on him. All those times he caught Klaus speaking to himself. He was… damn, was he really speaking to Ben that whole time? 

“I thought you couldn’t see ghosts when you were high,” Diego asked in confusion staring at Klaus like he was seeing his brother in a whole new light. 

“I mean, yea usually” Klaus joked, finally managing to stand up without swaying, as he leaned back to crack his back, “Ben here always was the exception” he smiled and winked back at Ben. 

Diego looked back over to Ben, needing affirmation. Ben nodded and shrugged, as if saying ‘yea, what can you do?’

“So that whole time… you weren’t just hallucinating and speaking to the air. You were… you were actually speaking to Ben? He was there that whole time?” Diego asked stunned, a heartbreaking expression on his face as he looked at Klaus again. 

Klaus was leaning forward, his arms reaching down toward the ground in a full body stretch. He glanced up at Diego, “Yep” popping the P. 

“Why, why didn’t you tell us?” Luther demanded, his voice drifting over to the group. He was sitting up against a tree a couple of feet away. Allison laying next to him with Vanya in her lap. “Why’d you let us assume that you were just crazy?”

“You did all the assuming yourself, oh fearless leader,” Klaus quipped. Stretching his sides and standing straight up. He felt around his neck and found the familiar weight of the dog tags still there. He grasped them, closing his eyes and thanking god (such a weird little girl) for small mercies. 

“You could have explained yourself,” Luther continued, “It was almost like you wanted us to think you were crazy.”

“Hey man, you don’t have to jump down his throat” Diego countered, hackles raised and coming to stand in front of Klaus. 

“Now’s not the time” Five interjected, glancing at all of them, his gaze lingering on Klaus as he titled his head to the side for a moment. Analyzing him, “We’ve got bigger issues”

“Yea, like why we’re all 11 again” Diego pointed out. 

“Thirteen,” Klaus said, opening his eyes up toward the sky, shading himself from the sun with a hand. “At least, we’re at least thirteen”

“How do you know?” Luther demanded, still sounding annoyed. 

“Dad started training us more at Thirteen and this body has got the scars to prove it,” Klaus said rubbing his hand against his wrist. “So yea, we’re at least thirteen”

“As surprised as I am to say this, Klaus is right. Somehow instead of jumping back 7 years, I jumped us back 17 years.” Five said. 

“Ok, so we know when we are… God,” Diego said, awe and frustration coloring his voice, “But where are we? Last thing I remember we were in the music hall” Diego looked around as if reaffirming to himself that they were not in the music hall… the sky alone did that for Klaus. 

“I think we’re in the courtyard,” Luther mused, looking around. 

Klaus glanced around too and realized Luther was right. How did he miss that? It most definitely was the courtyard at the academy. It just looked livelier, healthier. There were more trees in the courtyard and the planetarium in the back was in mint condition. He glanced over to the side and realized there was no statue of Ben. Made sense, since Ben hadn’t died yet. 

He looked around back at Luther and his sisters. Allison was beginning to stir but seemed like Vanya was still knocked out. As he was looking at Allison, her eyes opened and met his. He could tell the moment her brain kicked on -- her eyes widened, her mouth opened as she gasped in confusion. She looked to her right at Luther and stopped, reaching out a shaking hand to brush hair out of his face. 

“Hey sis,” Klaus said, “Glad to see you’re with us.”

Allison glanced away from Luther looking at Klaus again in confusion. She started feeling the ground around her as she searched for her notepad, but it was nowhere to be found. She looked up again at Klaus, unshed tears in her eyes. He could tell she was frustrated that she couldn’t communicate. 

“Everything’s alright Allison,” Luther explained calmly, grabbing one of her hands in his, “Five was just explaining that he jumped us back in time. We’re 13 again and we’re in the courtyard at the academy.”

Allison looked at Luther, eyes darting all over his face as she listened to him explain when and where they were. The realization dawned on her that traveling back in time meant she had left Claire, that Claire and Patrick must have died in the apocalypse. 

A low keening sound spilled out of her as she sobbed and gasped. Her siblings watched on as she shook uncontrollably, sobs wracking her frame. 

Luther reached out a hand in comfort, but she shook him off in anger. Klaus figured that Allison remembered that Luther was part of the reason the apocalypse happened in the first place. 

Klaus surprised himself when he moved on autopilot over to his sister to comfort her. He never could stand to hear her cry. He moved behind her to pull her in an embrace, as he rocked them both back and forth. Soothing her and brushing her hair, as he whispered to her that they would figure this out. 

Luther glanced at the others in shock and confusion, not knowing how to provide any support or what to do. It wasn’t often that he felt useless, but it was a feeling he hated that he was getting used to. 

Five interrupted Luther’s musings -- “We need to get a move on”

Diego glanced at him in confusion, “What for?”

“I’ve got no idea if the Temps Aeternalis are going to try and follow us here. I don’t think they can since I destroyed their time machines, but underestimating them is not how I want to die.”

Klaus continued to rock Allison back and forth as he listened to Five, wondering what he expected them to do. 

“So, what do we do?” Diego asked, “How do we stop them or fight them? I could barely figure out how to walk over to Ben, let alone fight someone. It’s like I’m remembering how to walk again.”

“That’ll pass,” Five said, offhandedly. “Your mind is trying to move a body it’s not used to. It’s like riding a bike though, it’ll remember and your depth perceptions will equilibrate in about a day or so.”

“Yay,” Ben said sarcastically, glancing at Klaus.

Diego looked over at him exasperated, “Yea, I don’t find that particularly comforting”

Ben laughed, “I forgot you guys can hear me now,” he explained, “I’ve spent the last decade or so only being able to talk with Klaus… so, this is all new to me.”

Klaus laughed, oh that was going to be fun, he thought. Klaus was still rocking Allison back and forth. She had seemed to calm down a bit. He could tell from her small hiccups that she was still silently crying, she seemed to slowly be tapering off. 

“What’s your plan then, Five?” Luther asked, relinquishing his role as leader to Five. Klaus focused again on the conversation and Five’s plan. 

“I think the best course of action would be for us to follow this timeline, to not raise any alarm or suspicion,” he explained. 

“And, how do we go about that?” Luther encouraged Five to explain. But, Klaus had already caught on. He was looking at Diego and Ben who also seemed to have understood what Five meant. 

“He means that we should go back to Dad, grow up again, not do anything to change the timeline,” Allison quietly said. Surprising herself and her siblings with her voice. It made sense if they all were back in their thirteen-year-old bodies that her throat would be healed. She sounded resigned to their fate. 

“Not exactly,” Five acquiesced, “ Yes, we have to keep up appearances, but we need to train Vanya. We all can do things better this go around.”

Klaus had let go of Allison and was leaning next to her now, Vanya half on him and half on Allison. He was rubbing the inside of his wrists, feeling the shallow cuts, some felt so new. He reached up to the inside of his elbow, felt the start of a bruise and wondered if maybe it was too late for some of them.


	2. Chapter 2

Klaus is absentmindedly gripping the dog tags around his neck, rubbing his thumb up and down the engravings. He feels so much older all of a sudden as he glances down at Vanya and thinks about what all they have to do. It feels overwhelming. They’re thirteen again, how are they supposed to do this all over again. He’s not quite sure his sanity can take it. He worries his lip between his teeth, his gaze a hundred miles away. 

Ben notices Klaus’ far off look. He can guess what’s causing it. He’s feeling overwhelmed too. And, not just overwhelmed at what they have to do. He feels like all of his senses are dialed to 100. He can feel the light breeze ruffle his hair, the warmth of the sun on his skin. He closes his eyes and angles his face toward the sun. Warm. He never thought he’d feel this again. Diego still has a hand on his shoulder. It’s a nice anchor. Another reminder that he’s corporal, real, actually made of flesh. 

He opened his eyes and noticed Diego glancing over at Klaus, his eyebrows drawn together in worry. 

“I’m worried too,” Ben admitted lowly. Diego startled at his voice, “What?”

“ I’m… just… I’m worried about him, about us, about all of this too. I think there’s a lot we should be worried about. But… this, this wasn’t a great year for Klaus. Wasn’t a great year for any of us really,” Ben explained, gazing over at Klaus. He feels weird being able to talk to someone who isn’t Klaus. He almost feels like he’s cheating, but quickly shakes that thought out of his head. Klaus had confided so much in him, sometimes by accident, high on his latest hit and delirious, sometimes between sobs pulling at his hair worrying he was going even crazier than he already was. He confided to Ben about the mausoleum, their father’s experiments, and more. But, Ben felt like Klaus would always catch himself before saying too much. He could see the trauma on his brother’s face. The weight almost physically weighing him down. 

\----

He knows they all went through more rigorous training once puberty hit and Reginald realized they could handle more. No one escaped their childhood without trauma. 

Once, when Ben and Diego were driving around before he… well, before he died… Ben confided in Diego that he thought he was a monster. He joked that was why he was nicknamed The Horror. Diego, not used to Ben’s more morbid moments, had looked at him in barely disguised horror as Ben mused on. Wondering if one day The Horrors would take over leaving Ben a ghost of himself

“Do you think… d’you think that when they take over I’ll die or will I be trapped?” Ben asked Diego, his voice a whisper, as if speaking the words would seal his fate. 

Diego, who never was great at communication and affection unless it was Mom, quickly stammered soft platitudes to comfort Ben. His stutter prominent as he told Ben that that would never happen, that he’d never let it happen. 

Ben remembers realizing that Diego would never fully understand. He remembers angrily brushing away tears and knuckling at his eyes as he breathed in, laughing shakily, “Yea, yea, you’re right. That’ll never happen.” Diego had one thing right, Ben never would let that happen. He’d kill himself before he turned into any more of a monster. 

After that night, Ben learned to keep his deepest, darkest thoughts to himself. Only confiding in Klaus when he was too high or too drunk to remember their conversation. Sometimes, in the rare moments that Ben forgot his promise to himself, he’d whisper his worries to Klaus as they laid in bed, seeking comfort in each other and the beats of their hearts. 

Klaus had become more withdrawn in recent weeks, often recoiling from their siblings touch, startled by noise that no one else heard, eyes drawn to shadows only visible to him. But, there were still nights were Klaus would sneak into Ben’s room, waking Ben up with pleading eyes and a gentle, breathless voice. Ben quickly realized these nights generally happened after Klaus’ secret missions with their father and began to expect the semi-weekly visits. Klaus seemed like a shadow of himself, sniffling and dragging his feet, as he would clamber into bed with Ben. 

Klaus’ heart always reminded Ben of a baby bird, so high and quick, but Ben knew it wasn’t as innocent. Once Klaus’ sniffles had ended and his heartbeat evened out, he’d joke around with Ben that they were getting as bad as Allison and Luther. It would always get a laugh out of Ben; he knew that whatever Luther and Allison had going on, Ben and Klaus were never like them. It was never a sexual thing between them. It was innocent and pure, seeking each other out for comfort during the height of the storm, the darkness that was their father, that was their childhood. 

Once in a very blue moon, their duo would become a trio as Diego would join. This only happened at the beginning of their individual missions with their father. Diego would come home eyes wide and breathless, avoiding the bath and shower for days until Allison would complain that he smelled and Mom would encourage him to take a bath. Those nights, Diego would join and Klaus would joke even more. Ben would stay quiet thumbing through his latest novel, listening to Klaus’ wild stories and Diego’s laughter as he swore that Klaus was crazy. But, Ben could tell he loved Klaus’ stories. The wilder the better. 

Ben knew that Diego craved love, almost more than any of the other siblings. Diego leaned into Mom’s affectionate touches, always gazing at her in adoration. As much as Diego loved Mom, Ben knew Diego would leave as soon as he could. Out of the seven of them, he always was the most independent by choice. Ben wasn’t surprised when Diego left shortly after turning 18. He remembers Diego proudly proclaiming that he was going to become a police officer and really help those in need. Ben had been so happy for his brother, Klaus, Vanya, and Allison too. Luther couldn’t understand Diego’s need to be independent, but he wished him luck all the same. 

It all went to shit soon after that. 

\------

Five’s voice knocks him out of his memories and back to the present. How odd is it that his memories are older than his current body? Is it really the present or the past? Ben shakes himself out of his musings and tries to focus again on Five’s voice. Diego’s hand continuing to be an anchor on his shoulder. 

“Based on the position of the sun,” Five started and Klaus snorted, catching Ben’s eye, “as I was saying… Based on the position of the sun, it’s a bit past mid-day. I tried to bring us back sometime before I left, but it doesn’t feel like April, so who the hell knows. When we go inside, act natural. Allison, Rumor anyone who asks too many questions As. A. Last. Resort,” he emphasizes the last couple words, “Luther, grab Vanya. We’ll say that she fainted outside. Our story will be that we’ve been outside training the whole afternoon. Ok, this is it. Don’t. Screw. It. Up,” Five looked at Klaus, Diego, and Luther as he emphasized the last few words. 

Klaus held up his hands in mock surrender as he clambered up and held a hand out for Allison to do the same. Diego grunted, sounding like a petulant child, Ben thought, as he gripped Ben’s shoulder once more and let go. Luther begrudgingly nodded as he lifted Vanya up bridal style. Ben looked over to Five and nodded. Now or never. 

Five led them up to the back entrance, Luther behind him with Vanya, the others trailing behind. 

As Five went to open the door, it swung open, their Mom on the other side with a plastered smile on. 

“Oh, there you all are,” she smiled, “Dinner will be served soon. You better wash up,” she continued as the siblings walked past her. 

Diego was the last to come in. He looked up at Mom and gave her a quick hug, hiding his head in her apron as he breathed in her perfume, “Hi, Mom. It’s g-g-g-good to see you again,” he stuttered. 

“Oh, silly,” she said cheerfully, “We just saw each other. But, it’s oh so good to see you again too Diego. Should I make cookies?”

He laughed wetly and realized he was crying, “Yea, Mom, that’d be great.” 

He squeezed her one more time as he let go and followed behind the rest of his siblings. Glancing back at Mom one more time. 

Diego jumped when Ben put an arm around him and smiled, “It does feel good to be back,” he admitted gazing back at Mom and the Foyer as they made their way to the stairs, “I forgot what it smelled like,” Ben admitted, breathing in the scent of the mansion again. 

Klaus laughed a few feet away, already halfway up the stairs, “Well, I for one, do not miss the smell. But, damn am I jonesing for a bath.”

“Glad you’re jonesing for a bath and not anything else,” Diego called back up to him as he followed up the stairs. 

“This is a virgin body,” Klaus laughed back at Diego and twirled at the top of the stairs, “I’m not jonesing for anything,” Klaus lied and laughed some more. 

“Number One!” Reginald shouted, walking into the foyer, “ what is the meaning of this?” he gestured at the array of children. It was unusual for all seven of them to be together if they weren’t in class or in mandatory training. 

“Listen up Old Man--” Five started, no one surprised that he was the first one to abandon his own plan, but Luther finished, “Sir, we were training outside instead of inside today. We should have told you. It won’t happen again.” Luther caught Five’s eye and shook his head slightly when Five opened his mouth again. 

“Number One, you must tell Pogo next time you decide to change the location of your training. I expect better of you,” Reginald scolded as he walked toward the office, leaving the group of children in his wake. 

“Number Four, I expect you to report in my office after dinner,” he snapped, not bothering to look at the children before he closed the doors behind him, ensconcing himself in his office. 

Luther looked at Klaus confused, “What did you do?”

“Oh fearless leader, how should I know?” Klaus smiled, shrugged, and turned his attention to Mom, “Mother dear, what’s for dinner? We’re all starved” he clapped his hands together and walked toward the kitchen leaving the other children in his wake. 

“FIve, do you know what day it is?” Ben asked glancing toward the kitchen and Klaus’ retreating form. 

“Not sure, my goal was to jump back to when I first appeared 8 days ago. Obviously that went to shit.” 

 

*  
*  
*  
*  
*

 

“Darling, it’s time to report to your father’s office,” Grace smiled at Klaus and the others. “You will arrive just on time if you leave now.”

Klaus smiled lazily over at Grace, winked at Ben and Allison, and pushed his seat back. Standing up, leaning back, and cracking his back. 

“Thank you Mother Dear, we wouldn’t want to keep Reggie waiting would we.”

“Klaus,” Luther warned, eyeing him with annoyance. 

“Oh, don’t get your panties in a twist space boy. I’m going, I’m going,” he waved the hand that would one day have the words ‘good-bye’ tattooed on to the group and walked out of the kitchen. 

Klaus by no means cared if he was on time to his meeting with Reggie. He honestly had no idea what it was for and couldn’t for the life of him remember. Too many drugs had addled his brain, he thought and giggled. 

“Master Klaus,” Pogo interrupted Klaus’ thoughts behind him, “Sir Reginald is waiting.”

“I’m going, I’m going,” Klaus waved Pogo off annoyance coloring his voice, “I don’t remember you being so pushy”

Pogo harrumphed and turned around, leading Klaus to Reginald’s office. 

The scene that greeted Klaus felt like deja vu. He giggled again, would the next 17 years feel like a bad trip? 

“Cease your laughing at once Number Four,” Reginald snapped, “You’re late.”

“I’m so sorry, daddy dearest. This mansion is so big and it’s oh so easy to get lost.”

“Number Four, I grow tired of your useless prattling. Cease any further excuses. We have lost enough time as is. Follow me.” Reginald gathered his coat and cane, sweeping by Klaus as he put his coat and top hat on. 

“Oh, an adventure!” Klaus clapped his hands together, “How I love those, don’t we?” Klaus looked around trying to catch Ben’s eye and smirk. Ah, right, Ben’s alive, Klaus should be happy. He should be so happy. He is. But, it feels wrong to be by himself. Klaus’ smile fell for a minute and he shook himself out of the past… or the future… or the past… at this point, who the fuck knows… and focused on Reginald again. 

“Number Four, follow,” Reginald snapped. 

Klaus scampered along beside him glancing up at Reginald. At 13, he had recently had a growth spurt but Reginald was still taller than him. Klaus was used to being one of the taller siblings and it felt odd to have to look up at others again. A bad acid trip. 

“So, daddy dearest, where are we going?” Klaus asked. 

“Number Four, your forgetfulness must stop. I expect better of you,” Reginald replied, but didn’t answer Klaus’ question. 

“Mhmm, mhmm,” Klaus nodded, “Silly old me, so very forgetful”

“We will be testing your abilities again tonight. You must learn to disregard this ridiculous fear of the dead and fully embrace your powers,” Reginald explained as he continued walking. 

Klaus meanwhile had frozen on the spot at Reginald’s reply. 

“T-t-testing?” Klaus whispered questioningly, “We’re not.. I mean, that’s to say… heh… We’re not going to the mausoleum, are we?” he asked, trying to mask his fear with a joke, but knowing his voice was growing hoarse from fear. Klaus was trying to remember this moment. Everything felt so muddled. Did he already have this memory or was it a new one? 

“Correct. Keep up, Number Four. I will not have you dallying and further delaying,” Reginald responded. 

“No,” Klaus moaned, sinking a little, “No, no, no, no, no, please, no. I can’t. Ican’t. Ican’t…”

“Number Four,” Reginald snapped, finally turning to look at Klaus, disdain coloring his features, “Stop this at once.”

“No, no, no, no, no, no, no. Not again, not again, not again.” Klaus continued to moan, shaking his head and wrapping his arms around his body, “I can’t. Sir, I… I can’t. Not again,” Klaus honestly didn’t even care if he was begging. There was no way he was going through this shit again. 

“Stop this foolishness Number Four. NOW!” Reginald boomed. His echoing voice gaining the other’s attention in the dining room as they filed out after dinner to take in the scene before them. 

“Klaus?” Ben questioned. Eyeing Klaus, who had collapsed in on himself, perched on the floor, hands hugging his chest, trembling and shaking front and back. “What’s going on?”

“Number Six, I will not tolerate speaking when not spoken to. Do not worry yourself about this. Number One, lead the others upstairs,” Reginald ordered, as Reginald all at once rushed in to grab the back of Klaus’ collar, manhandling him toward the door. 

Klaus grabbed on to Reginald’s hand, tried to stand, tried to break free. He had forgotten how strong Reginald was. Forgotten how weak he constantly felt. 

Klaus couldn’t help it. He started laughing. This was his life. Of course Five would bring them back to their past, of course he would have to relive all of his worst memories again. Of course. Just, god, how ironic. He finally got clean. Finally discovered more of his powers. And, he’s thrown right back into the thick of his worst memories. 

“Klaus, come on.” 

Klaus blinked and looked around. Ben was still in the foyer with them. Everyone was still in the foyer. Allison’s eyes were glued to his. He could feel Reginald’s hand jerking him forward. He felt like he was on display. His family never cared to see what was going on whenever he whimpered, but followed Reginald to his training sessions. Everyone always turned a blind eye. He always had wished someone would see. Would just see him and understand. But this somehow felt so much worse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I have to be honest, I'm still figuring out where I'm going with this story. I keep thinking I might want to just re-write the whole thing, but we'll see. Hope you enjoy!

**Author's Note:**

> Comments, kudos, and more are appreciated. This is un-beta'd, so if there is any lovely people out there who are open to editing, would love to work with you. 
> 
> I'm hoping to post once a week, but we'll see how that goes. I don't have too much of an outline right now, but will continue working on one to figure out the length and pacing. 
> 
> Thank you!!


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